Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference

The Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference has just ended and what a great conference it has been! So many important issues were highlighted, many of which directly impact people across North East Fife.

I kicked off my first day of conference with my keynote speech which was all about how honoured I am to have been re-elected here in North East Fife. In my speech, I said “Being the MP for North East Fife is such a privilege. It is home to so much - world renowned artists, whisky and gin distilleries and historic communities, such as those in the fishing communities of the East Neuk, the post-industrial area of Levenmouth and the bread basket of Fife, the Howe”.

In my speech, I also highlighted key issues such as sewage in our rivers, the decline in the quality of education in Scotland and the state of the NHS and dentistry. In addition to this are issues such as housing, benefits and transport. These are things that have come up when I’m door knocking time and time again. With so many newly elected Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs, I am confident we can make a real difference here.

Conference was also a great opportunity to meet with lots of incredible charities and organisations. Senior members of my team and I met with over 40 different organisations, from those championing animal welfare, such as Cats Protection, Animal Free Research and Compassion in Farming, to those leading the way in health related awareness, such as Pancreatic Cancer UK, Healthy Air Coalition, Brain Tumour Trust,  British Heart Foundation, National AIDS Trust, MS Society, Mental Health Foundation, Mind and Malaria No More.  

Access to cash is becoming increasingly difficult in North East Fife, with the latest bank closure in Leven announced just last week. I made sure to meet with LINK who connect a reliable ATM network to every major bank and building society to make sure everyone has access cash. I know that housing and short term rentals are also big areas of concern across North East Fife which is why I met with the British Property Foundation and the Short Term Accommodation Association.

As the new Labour Government introduce the cut to Winter Fuel Allowance, I know that pensioners are feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis and rising energy bills more than ever, so I met with Age UK, Independent Age and WASPI. Its not only pensioners who are facing hardship though, families across the country are facing high levels of food insecurity, poverty and difficulties accessing adequate housing. I met with the Trussell Trust, Working Families and Carers UK as a result.

Conference allows members of the Liberal Democrats to vote on the motions we believe in, so on Monday, I spoke about the need for improved bereavement support, as well as better support for kinship care. The motion passed with zero opposition.

There were so many other important organisations I met, interesting fringe panels I spoke on and many more wonderful people to highlight, it was a fantastic conference and I’m so grateful to the people of North East Fife for choosing me to be here to represent them.